So they didn't have 2 or 3 test planes built to see if the design even worked?

The first plane off the assembly line went directly to a customer? I find that hard to believe.

so, I wiki'd it: (bolded text indicates they MAY have had this problem pop up.)

The 787 flight test program was composed of 6 aircraft, ZA001 through ZA006, four with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines and two with GE GEnx-1B64 engines. The second 787, ZA002 in All Nippon Airways livery, flew to Boeing Field on December 22, 2009, to join the flight test program;[105][106] the third 787, ZA004 joined the test fleet with its first flight on February 24, 2010, followed by ZA003 on March 14, 2010.[107] On March 24, 2010, testing for flutter and ground effects was completed, clearing the aircraft to fly its entire flight envelope.[108] On March 28, 2010, the 787 completed the ultimate wing load test, which requires that the wings of a fully assembled aircraft be loaded to 150% of design limit load and held for 3 seconds. The wings were flexed approximately 25 ft (7.6 m) upward during the test.[109] Unlike past aircraft however, the wings were not tested to failure.[110][111] On April 7, Boeing announced that analysis of the data showed the test was a success.[112]

On April 23, 2010, Boeing delivered the newest 787, ZA003, to the McKinley Climatic Laboratory hangar at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, for extreme weather testing in temperatures ranging from 115 to -45 °F (46 to -43 °C), and prepare it for takeoff at both temperature extremes.[113] Dreamliner ZA005, the fifth 787 and the first with General Electric GEnx engines began ground engine tests in May 2010.[114] ZA005 made its first flight on June 16, 2010 and joined the flight test program.[115] In June 2010, gaps were discovered in the horizontal stabilizers of test aircraft, due to improperly installed shims; all aircraft produced then were to be inspected and repaired.[116] That same month, a 787 experienced an in-flight lightning strike, allowing engineers the opportunity to examine the aircraft's design tolerances.[117] Since composites can have as little as 1/1,000th the electrical conductivity of aluminum, Boeing engineers had added conductive material to ameliorate potential risks and to meet FAA requirements.[79][118][119] FAA management was also planning to adjust requirements to help the 787 show compliance.[120] Inspections following the 787's first recorded lightning strike showed no damage to the aircraft.[117] The first 787 to visit Europe, ZA003 at the 2010 Farnborough Airshow

The 787 made its first appearance at an international air show at the Farnborough Airshow, UK, on July 18, 2010.[121] On August 2, a Trent 1000 engine suffered a blowout at Rolls-Royce's test facility during ground testing.[122] The failure caused Boeing to reevaluate its timeline for installing Trent 1000 engines, and on August 27, 2010 the manufacturer confirmed that the first delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airways would be delayed until early 2011.[123][124] That same month, Boeing faced compensation claims from airlines owing to ongoing delivery delays.[125] On September 9, 2010, it was reported that a further two 787s might join the test fleet, making a total of eight flight test aircraft.[126] On September 10, 2010, a partial engine surge or runaway occurred in a Trent engine on ZA001 at Roswell.[127] On October 4, 2010, the sixth 787, ZA006 joined the test program with its first flight.[128] Front/side view of white 787 on static display. Stairway is positioned ahead of the right engine for access into cabin. The third 787 built, on static display in 2010

On November 5, 2010, it was reported that some early 787 deliveries may be delayed, in one case some three months, to allow for rework to address problems found during flight testing.[129][130] On November 9, 2010, Boeing 787, ZA002 made an emergency landing after smoke and flames were detected in the main cabin during a test flight over Texas. A Boeing spokeswoman said the airliner landed safely and the crew was evacuated after landing at the Laredo International Airport, Texas.[131][132][133] The electrical fire caused some systems to fail before landing.[134] Following this incident, Boeing suspended flight testing on November 10, 2010. Ground testing was performed instead.[135][136] On November 22, 2010, Boeing announced that the in-flight fire can be primarily attributed to foreign object debris (FOD) that was present in the electrical bay.[137] After electrical system and software changes, the 787 resumed company flight testing on December 23, 2010.[138][139]

In January 2011, Boeing announced that the first 787 delivery was rescheduled to the third quarter of 2011 due to software and electrical updates following the in-flight fire.[140][141] On February 24, 2011, Boeing announced that the 787 had completed 80% of the test conditions for Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine and 60% of the conditions for the General Electric GEnx-1B engine.[142] On July 4, 2011, All Nippon Airways began a week of airline operations testing using a 787 in Japan.[143] As of August 15, 2011, the 787 test aircraft have flown 4,828 hours in 1,707 flights combined.[107] During testing the 787 has visited 14 countries in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America to test in extreme climates and conditions, and to perform route testing.[144] Boeing completed certification testing for Rolls-Royce powered 787-8s on August 13, 2011.[145] The FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency certified the 787 on August 26, 2011, at a ceremony in Everett, Washington.

12
posted on 01/16/2013 5:24:18 PM PST
by hattend
(Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)

Much different scale obviously, but my son used to race RC cars. We got the brushless motors and LiOn batteries when they first came out. Through our experience, most of which was bad, we came to be careful with these batteries. We smoked more than one. You had to be very careful with the rate of charge or they would just get hotter and hotter until they ignited.

maybe the idea of having parts made and assembled in many countries is not as good as say using Whichita,KS or Redmond. As a member of the flying public and no aviation experience I thought it was odd when Boeing said they would build a “world” plane. oh well - BTW isn’t one of the geniuses of the world plane now head of Ford?

17
posted on 01/16/2013 7:34:30 PM PST
by q_an_a
(the more laws the less justice)

I worked on systems for that program that had many problems, there were assemblies that went on that plane that I thought were not ready to. I agree passenger safety is always the most important thing, however program managers under pressure to deliver may not agree!

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